In the Arms of an Angel
by glayshur
Summary: A Pharmercy fic centered on the early re-grouping of Overwatch.
1. Chapter 1

**1:46 A.M**

The smell of a fresh pot of coffee wafed through the air. A woman sits alone at her desk, back hunched and eyes squinting at the mountain of paperwork in front of her. She brings her hands to her temples, attempting to rub away the headache before it could become a full blown migraine. Unfortunately, the placebo affect this might have would not take place on as skilled of a medical practicioner as she.

 _"It is my belief that one of the most concerning matters in the medical field today is the lack of focus on that which most humans crave yet fear: immortality. While it is apparent that everything on Earth must and will die, we as a race have put forth next to no effort in furthering our knowledge of why we die."_

The womans blue eyes narrowed further. No effort? She scoffed and nearly shut the book right then and there. Modern doctors were so damn cocky. The entire point of medicine was to prevent death and illness. How foolish can this man be? She had ought to write her own book at this point. _"Why Doctors Act So Pretentious: A dissertation by Angela Ziegler"._

However, before she could put any real thought into the idea, a knock rang out through the room. Sighing, she stood and made her way to the door, drawing her robe tighter around her waist. She glanced at the clock, frowned at the hour, and swung the door open.

There stood a woman, tall in stature with broad shoulders and olive skin. Her black hair hung in a loose braid over her shoulder. Angela took a step back, any irritation at being bothered replaced with curiosity.

"Hello Fareeha. What brings you here at this hour?" Angela asked, stepping back and gesturing her arm to allow the other woman into her room.

Fareeha took the invitation immediately with a nod of thanks, and sat herself at the doctors workbench.

"Nothing too exciting, I believe I am just having a bout of insomnia. I have been unable to sleep for the past 75 hours, although my body desperately wants it."

"Why have you not seen me sooner?" Angela asked, moving across the room to a medicine cabinet. As her hands searched for the bottle, her mind thought of how formal Fareeha spoke and wondered if she would prefer to be spoken to in the same manner or if it was just a personal preference to maintain her militant attitude.

"I assumed it would go away on it's own. I believed that I could work myself to sleep so to speak, though now it seems that it is only hurting me. My muscles cannot relax or heal without sleep, and it is effecting my training. Due to our upcoming shipment, I realized without extensive knowledge on this subject and in need of quick results it was probably best to leave it in the hands of a professional."

The doctor nodded, and hummed in acknowledgement. Walking towards the other woman, she handed Fareeha two small red capsules.

"You are correct," she said. "Insomnia is a tricky thing to cure; that is, everyone will experience it at least a few times in their life and no one will ever be completely free of it. These pills should help. How long ago was your last meal?"

Fareeha took them graciously in her hand and glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.

"About 5 hours ago, just a small snack before bed. Why do you ask?"

"Those pills are rather...potent. It is best to take them with food or on a full stomach so as to lessen the possible side effects. I assure you, they will cause you no harm but you might feel a little strange to say the least. Take one for now, and save the other. If after 25-30 minutes of taking it you still feel nothing, take the other. But make sure you are good and ready to fall asleep before doing so."

The Egyptian woman stood, towering over the blonde doctor before her. She bowed her head in thanks, and strode to the door.

"You know, Angela. It is quite late, and you have just as much to do tomorrow in preparation as I. Would it not be best for you to sleep as well? Perhaps these pills could be of use to the both of us."

"Thank you for your concern. I believe I am tired enough to collapse right here and now though...that medicine would most likely keep me asleep for a decade." Dr. Ziegler laughed, walking back to her desk.

The door opened and Fareeha stepped through, only to turn around and say, "Perhaps that would be best. Maybe then the team could learn to take care of themselves rather than depending so heavily on you." Her voice was lighthearted and more playful than Angela had heard before, and her cheeks warmed slightly at the compliment whether it was intended or not.

The doctor chuckled, and said "Strong words for someone receiving treatment from me herself."

Fareeha laughed, her shoulders arching forward into the sound. "Excellent point, Ziegler. However I am under no assumption that I would be alive without you. I ask that you know how much I appreciate your work. Have a good night, Doctor. Get some rest."

With that, she closed the door, leaving the blonde woman to stare mouth slightly agape. While the two had known each other for only a short time, they had yet to have an interaction so informal. She supposed it shouldn't come as such a shock to have her comrades speak to her as a human and not just as their Medic. Still...there was something about the break in Feerah's usual mannerisms that left Angela wishing to hear more.

She felt her mouth stretch into a grin,and sat back at her desk. She did deserve sleep, she thought. She glanced at the clock once more, then at the coffee pot, and finally back to the book still lying open.

" _Scheiß drauf"_ she thought to herself, and made her way to the bunk in the far corner of the room after shutting off the lights. 

* * *

The next morning she couldn't remember falling asleep but the laughter of her Egyptian comrade still rang crystal clear in her ears.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mercy, can you hear me?"

"Yes, but barely. There is quite a bit of static on the line." Mercy replied. The earpiece beeped a couple of times, and the mans voice came through once more. This time louder, and with less excess noise.

"Okay, how about now?"

The blonde nodded before realizing he couldn't see her. "Loud and clear, Lucio." She looked around the training grounds, taking in details and noting good places to stash health packs should anyone need to heal up while she was occupied.

Currently Angela was making her way to the main area, where the rest of her team was preparing themselves for the pre-shipment exercice.

Her eyes wandered the paths between buildings, and she would occassionally peek her head into buildings, sprinkling health packs of varying strengths into corners. She glanced up, noting the sky. A clear crystal blue, without a cloud in sight. The sun was just reaching the highest point in its arc, and the air seemed still and cool. A beautiful day, really.

As she continued her watch of the skies, something to the far left of her field of vision caught her attention. She drew her staff protectively in front of her with her left hand while her right hand hovered above the small pistol on her hip. Surely the training hadn't begun yet? No canons had rung and no voices were to be heard over the comm line.

She waited with baited breath. Though she knew the enemies they were about to face were fake, her body reacted instinctively due to years of battle. The familiar kick of adrenaline began to flood her veins, and her eyesight seemed to sharpen, her senses honing in on where her teammates might be.

Suddenly, a bang was heard followed by something- no, some _one_ shooting into the air. Blue armor dazzled brightly as the sun reflected off of the metal; the figure rose impossibly fast towards the sun. At the realization that it was only Pharah getting into position, and not an enemy, her body relaxed and she continued her walk while maintaining watch on the woman jumping across rooftops.

Even from a distance, Mercy could see the amount of focus and determination that bled through every step of Pharah's. Each bound from roof to roof leaked confidence and practice, filled with grace that comes only with complete trust in oneself.

As she watched, Pharah shot straight upwards once again. The wings of her armor blotted out the sun and for a moment, the myth of Icarus crossed Mercy's mind, but she didn't think Icarus could have looked so intimidating. She forced her gaze forward again, focusing on the task at hand. The battle would begin soon, and it was of utmost importance that she concentrate completely.

"Welcome to the party!" someone called as she entered the main field. Standing around were the few members of Overwatch being sent out on the upcoming mission. Soldier 76, Tracer, Lucio, and Reinhardt all stood in varying positions across a plaza. Lucio seemed to be nervously skating around the fountain in the center, while Tracer animatedly chatted with Reinhardt. Mercy's eyes scanned the tops of the buildings once more. She spotted another member, Hanzo, leaning casually against an air conditioning unit on a roof a few buildings away from her. Now the only one left to find was...

"Hello again, Doctor Ziegler."

Mercy jumped at the voice behind her, whipping around to face the speaker. Two scares in a only a few minutes? Unacceptable. She'll have to get this woman a bell.

"Feerah! You frightened me. How is someone in such heavy armor so quiet?" Mercy asked, making her tone light and keeping her bell idea quiet.

"My mother left me with little save for her knowledge of combat. Stealth was a large benefactor in her success. You are correct though," Pharah proceeded. "My armor is not exactly made for remaining unknown. I am surprised you did not hear me approach...your mind must be occupied."

Mercy noticed there was a hint of curiosity in the woman's voice, and decided to test the waters of what she might be able to get away with as far as conversations went.

"As a matter of fact, it was. I was searching for the only member of the team to not be within my reach and therefore unsafe. I believe to recall you admitting you would not survive without me?" Mercy said with a smirk. At this, Pharah's expression flickered too quickly to catch, but the doctor suspected it was embarrassment.

"Ahem...actually, that is why I have come to speak to you. You see, I have noticed that while my attacks are powerful, I am often left vulnerable. My armor does provide better than ideal protection, but due to its size I sacrifice mobility. I simply do not move fast enough to dodge attacks when I am in the air...I was wondering if we could try a strategy I have been considering?"

Mercy was taken aback to say the least. What could the woman possibly want her to do to help?

"Of course. What is your plan exactly?"

A countdown began over the speakers sounding that they had only a few seconds left till the training began.

"Tend to the others for now. I will call for your help when I am ready and I will instruct you then. I apologize for asking this of you on such short notice."

"It is no problem, I am happy to help. Just call for me over the comm when you are ready."

Pharah saluted her, took five long steps back, and leaped into the air towards the back of the plaza. Mercy made her way to stand behind Reinhardt, who greeted her with a hearty "Angela!" and a thump on her back before he turned and readied his shield.

She heard the others ready their weapons, and words of encouragement were heard from everyone over the comm lines. The gates that lead to the entrance of the plaza were closed, but Mercy knew that when they opened a flood of specially designed training omnics would pour through. She readied her staff in front of her, aiming it at the back of Reinhardt. She knew the teams basic strategy well: Reinhardt guards while Solder 76 and Tracer fire from behind its safety. Lucio uses his blaster to give everyone a boost, allowing them to quickly push the enemies back. Hanzo stays further back, never out of reach of Mercy's protection but far enough away to stay out of the direct line of fire. Pharah, in a typical battle, would line the battlefield with rockets from behind, mowing down enemies with the help of the others.

" _ **THREE...TWO...ONE!"**_

The gates opened, and the omnics surged through. Mercy felt adrenaline spike into her veins once morel; her eyes scanned her teammates constantly, never letting anyone remain injured for more than a few moments before healing them with her staff.

Reinhardt grunted, his shield colliding with a wall of omnics the height of an average man, but as wide and studry as a battering ram. Mercy kept her attention focused on him for the time being, allowing her beam to flow over him and repair his bones as they snapped, while also numbing the pain so he could concentrate on the battle rather than his injuries.

Shots fired from all around her, deafening roars of blasts mixed with Lucio's music. Voices rang out in her ear piece, everyone pointing out incoming enemies or asking for assistance.

Her body moved quickly as she used her wings to allow herself to glide from teammate to teammate. All the while she waited for Pharah's call to her side. The battle had raged on for a solid six minutes before it finally came.

"Mercy?" a voice asked into her ear.

"Is it time, Pharah?"

"Yes, I believe I am ready. Fire your beam at me, and I will lift us up. Be preapred to glide."

Wordlessly, Mercy shot Reinhardt with her staff for a few more moments before swiftly making her way to the back left corner of the battlefield where Pharah kneeled. Mercy immediately placed her beam upon the soldier, but nearly stopped short as the sight in front of her fully set in.

Pharah sat on one knee on the ground, rocket launcher perched on her shoulder. The missles left her gun with an explosive force, but even through the armor Mercy could see Pharah's muscles move to keep it locked into place and on aim. She wondered briefly how the woman could hear at all anymore, and made a mental note to check on that after this battle.

"Thank you. I am fixing to launch us both up. In the air, I will begin to hover but only for a moment. At that moment, I need you to give me an energy boost. I must be able to push my body as far as possible for this to work like I am hoping it will. Glide with me while I stay there. I will be completely exposed, and will need you to remain alongside me while it rains."

Mercy nodded, her beam already focused and her wings extended in preparation.

"Wait, I apologize...you said 'while it rains'? Pharah there is not a cloud to be seen. What do you expect to come down?"

The Egyptian soldier smirked as she stood up, white teeth glinting underneath her helm. She quickly glanced around for enemies before standing upright and bracing her knees. A small chuckle passed through her lips.

"Justice, my dear Mercy."

And with that, the ground underneath the doctors feet disappeared. The air whipped around her, and her stomach plummeted, unused to such a quick ascent.

It only lasted for a blink of an eye before they were a hundred feet above the battlefield. Mercy urged herself not to look down and instead focused on maintaining her beam on the woman hovering slightly above her.

Wait, hovering. _Boost, Ziegler!_

She pressed a switch on her staff, allowing the current flowing from the end to change from its healing yellow to a fierce energizing blue.

Pharah grunted as the excess energy flooded her body, penetrating her armor and going into her very core.

Her arms stretched out beside her, legs extended, stomach pushed out as rockets of varying size released from canons that had been previously hidden within the chest of the armor. Mercy's ears rang as Pharah let out a deafening cry that could barely be heard over the barrage of rockets storming down onto the enemies below.

She couldn't help but ignore her fear of heights and look at what was happening below. Her other teammates had paused briefly, glancing up to see where this attack had come from, before completely stopping their movements at the realization of what had happened.

The entire area was cleared. A single omnic was left crawling with its only remaining arm, and an arrow quickly sliced through its metallic skull.

Silence. Complete and total silence on a battlefield that Mercy typically associated with the loss of her teammates. This quiet, though, was one of awe.

Pharah mumbled something before her body began to fall, and it took Mercy no time at all to realize that the force from those exploding from her chest could have easily destroyed a few ribs at the very least. The two began to descent rather quickly, and Mercy did her best to allow her own wings to guide the two of them to the safety of a rooftop, having quickly snatched Pharah's arm and pressed the button located on the wrist of the woman's blue armor to jump start the jet wings on Pharah's back.

Mercy's mind was racing. How had she done that? _When_ had Pharah become able to do that? Why wait until only a day before shipment to try such a tactic? The amazement she had felt earlier was beginning to subside into mild anger and rationality. How could this woman put herself into such danger like that? Surely she understood what it might do to her body, she should have consulted the doctor beforehand, should have asked her what might happen, should have-

It hit Mercy as she landed, gently placing Pharah's unconscious body onto the hard cement of the roof. The soldier had not _needed_ to consult Mercy. She knew exactly what it would do to her body. That bit about her being exposed, and needing assistance was more of an excuse to cover up the fact that Pharah knew this attack would leave her completely broken...but as Mercy looked onto the field of destroyed omnics, she knew that the tactic would only be seen as a game changer by her teammates.

Mercy placed Pharah's head in her lap, and used her staff to begin mending the wounds she thought the woman might have. She visualized what the force of the rockets could do to the human body, and through those mental images she was able to mentally instruct the beam on what to do.

Moments later, brown eyes blinked open, and a small cough rumbled through the mighty hero.

"Thank you, Angela. I was worried that might happen." Pharah's eyes widened, and a look of innocence that seemed unfitting for the soldier took over her face. "But...did it work? Did I stop anything?"

Mercy said nothing, and merely assisted the other woman in sitting up to look over the remains of the omnics. "You tell me," she said quietly.

Feerah's face fell and she nodded solemnly, her militant expression returning. There was something else underneath it, though, as if she was not quite happy with the results.

The look faded, and one of triumph and pride flooded her face. "Worth it." Pharah said, before collapsing into Mercy's lap once more.


	3. Chapter 3

Today was shipment day. The assignment was relatively simple; go to a town where omnics were rising once again, the limits on AI enhancement illegally surpassed. The robots were once again deviating from their programmed norm, and were following unknown orders.

Mercy stared at the two slips of paper on her desk which gave detailed listings of what was expected of her on this particular mission. Everyone got their own papers in a manilla folder, and they could be used to gauge exactly how difficult the higher-ups expected the mission to be. However, due to Overwatch's re-formation being held in secrecy, Winston was in charge of creating and assigning missions. He tried to take care of small things, nothing that would bring too much attention to _who_ had won the skirmish, only to the fact that it had been won at all and that a town had been saved.

The doctor frowned at the papers. If this was to be such a simple journey, then why bring her _and_ Lucio? Typically they brought either one or the other, and a lot of the times neither. What could they possibly run into that Winston believed both of their healing skills would be needed?

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and she quickly strode to welcome the visitor.

"Dr. Ziegler, I've got a question for you."

A rather short woman stood in front of Mercy, her brown hair sticking straight up in a way that suggested she had run full speed to speak to the doctor.

"Yes, Lena, how may I assist you?" Angela asked, stepping back to allow the girl inside.

"Well, ya see, it's about my accelerator. I was just thinking about how it works, and can't wrap my head around some things. I figured, hey, you're pretty smart, yeah? Why not bounce some of these thoughts off of my head and onto yours."

Mercy pursed her lips, taking a seat while Tracer paced around the room as she spoke. Admittedly, Angela had always been deeply curious of how the chronal accelerator functioned but she thought it impolite to ask- well, that combined with never properly having the opportunity to.

"Of course. What specifically do you have questions about? I should forewarn you, I am no Winston. My specialties and "smarts" lie almost primarily in healing and light energy. I will try to help you if I can."

Tracer nodded her head three times in rapid succession before grabbing a pen from the desk. She took four long strides to cross Mercy's bunker before turning to face the woman.

"You see, Doc, it's a bit like this. I can go forward in time as easy as air. I can go back, too. What I don't do so easily, though, is understand why I can fix myself but not you."

"What do you mean, exactly? Are you asking why you alone can travel through time?"

"Yes, and uh, no. Just give me a sec. Watch this."

Before the words had left her mouth, Tracer plunged the pen deep into her arm leaving a bloody gash in its wake. Mercy gasped and lurched out of her seat, arms reaching towards the girl.

"Lena! What have you- oh." Before the doctor had even left her seat, Tracer was standing right next to Mercy's desk once more, pen in hand and arm unwounded. Mercy had noticed this during battle, Lena's ability to heal herself merely by putting herself back where she was moments ago. She hated to admit it to herself, but she had never questioned _why_ the girl was able to do this and was simply grateful that it was one less thing she had to worry about on the field.

"See what I mean then? It's like, you stayed there. You moved from your seat. But I came back here, like nothing had happened. No pen in the arm, no blood, no pain. Not a scar or a scratch. But you saw it. To you, it still happened, right there in front of ya. So, that's my question doc. Why? Why does my body heal even when the rest of the world doesn't?"

Angela stared at the woman who was pacing once again. Of course, it only makes sense to ask questions about your own abilities, but why bring this up now? Why ask these things in such a manner and, more importantly, why come to the _doctor_ about it and not the scientist who built the thing in the first place?

"Lena, I...I believe that in life there are things which cannot be explained, no matter the amount of science or thought put into them. I think you are very...unique. Your accelerator works on a level that I, and I suspect Winston, do not fully understand. I'd like to sidetrack for just a moment and ask you why you've come to me for this. I understand you'd expect me to be able to figure out the healing aspect of your powers, but what makes you so concerned about other people that you would not merely ask the creator of the device?"

At this, Tracer's legs stopped moving and she came to an almost comical hault. Her eyes widened, and before Mercy could flinch, the woman appeared in front of her. Brown orbs stared into blue ones, and the doctor sensed that Lena was attempting to convey an emotion that she could not put into words.

"Doc, listen to me. I hate to be a serious Sally on such a busy day, but I'm a bit concerned. What it is, is that I don't just see my own past and future, y'know? I can see the world's timestream as a whole. Not at will and not every day. It comes in bits in pieces. I can't ever make heads or tails of them, really, but I see a lot of pain. Every time."

Tracers voice had gotten awfully quiet, and she propped herself up on the corner of the doctors desk, eyes wide and staring into a space (or time) that Mercy could not see.

"And I always catch myself trying to help. I try to place myself in those times, see. Like I do with myself. But I can't, I- I just can't _get_ to them. I can appear there. Not long, of course, and no one seems to see me. It's like I'm a ghost again, like I'm...not there. But I am!"

Tracer jumped off the desk, and planted her feet firmly in front of the doctor before leaning in with both hands, trapping the blodne woman in her seat. She spoke her next words urgently, with wide eyes and shaking hands.

"I am there, doctor. You see? I am! Just like I am right now, in the flesh, living and breathing I'm _there_. I can feel the world exactly as I do now, nothing is different. If I'm there long enough, I can accelerate if I need to. Nothing changes except the people, see doc?"

Her voice was getting louder, and Angela could see the pulse throbbing on her neck. She'd never seen the girl so _afraid_ , so desperate in her words. She began to think of things to say and actions to take to de-escalate the quickly intensifying panic attack the woman in front of her was having.

"I want to help them! I need to know what makes me different, what heals me, how I do it! I need you to help me, Doc, you've got to help me see, 'cause if you don't, I-"

Tracer had only time to place her hands on Mercy's shoulders before a white blur crashed into her side. The small woman slammed onto the floor, while Mercy's savior attempted to wrestle Lena's hands to her side. Tracer's arms didn't even touch the floor before she had set herself back in time to be in front of Mercy once again.

Angela watched as the blur who was now recognizable as Pharah, shot herself up from a push up to full standing position. She briefly admired the strength and agility that must have taken, before watching the rest of the skirmish.

Pharah launched herself towards Tracer once more, but didn't make purchase. The smaller girl was too fast, and managed to jump forward in time to stand behind Pharah. She kicked out with a single long leg, and then jumped forward once more to stand in front of the soldier. This time, however, Pharah was prepared. She used her own momentum to fall as hard as possible into Tracer's body, quickly pinning the smaller woman's arms to her side so she could not touch her accelerator.

"Lena! For God's sake, listen to me. Stop moving. I won't hurt you, just calm down!" Fareeha called out, struggling to tame the girl beneath her. Eventually the two became still in every way except for their chests, which heaved up in down as they held a steady glare.

Mercy saw Tracer's eyes widen, and her chest heave one final time before her face crumpled and her mouth opened into a heartbreaking wail. The doctor stood, and placed her hand on Pharah's shoulders to usher her aside. She kneeled beside Lena, pulling her into her arms.

"Shh, _meine liebste._ You are here with me now. I feel you in my arms. You are here, in the present, with me. I have you." Mercy whispered into Tracer's ear as the girl sobbed into her arms. Pharah stood, eyes wide.

"Will you be okay, doctor?" the soldier asked, voice soft but strained.

"I think I will manage for now. Please contact Winston and tell him to come immediately. I wish to speak with you later, as well."

Fareeha nodded her head, stroding towards the door. She had only come to see the doctor to ask if she needed assistance with loading the materials needed for shipment before she had heard shouting. To cross the threshold and see a wide eyed Mercy being cornered by an audibly unstable Tracer had sent a chill down her spine that had thrown her into her instincts.

"Of course. Call for me when you are ready."

Mercy nodded, looking down at Tracer who was already fast asleep. God, that girl did everything she did in the fastest way imaginable. But she hadn't deserved to be knocked aside like Pharah had done. Angela was quite used to dealing with outbursts like this, especially from someone with as frail of a mental state as Lena. She understood, however, that to Pharah this situation must have seemed entirely different than what it was. Fareeha was only trying to protect her.

"Fareeha. Before you go...thank you." Mercy said, and Pharah gave her a small smile before exiting the room.

Angela sighed, looking down at the sleeping woman. It was going to be a _long_ day.


End file.
